BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Machinists
- Median annual wage: $56,090
- Median hourly wage: $26.97
- Total employment: 1,340 people (3.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Greenville that don't require a college degree
Gen Z has figured out that college isn't the only way to land a high-paying job. According to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 2 in 5 (38.6%) of recent high school graduates opted out of college in 2023, up from 33.8% in 2019.
This shift comes at a good time for high school grads, as companies face labor shortages for many jobs that don't require a college degree. Baby boomers retiring and a trend to reopen factories in the United States have both driven demand for young talent. A July 2024 Intelligent report found that 1 in 3 companies have already dropped bachelor's degree requirements across entry-level, mid-tier, and even senior positions to attract more employees.
The need for skilled workers, regardless of educational attainment, means better pay. Median wages for those with a high school degree are at their highest since 1990, according to the New York Federal Reserve.
At $40,000 on average, these wages are still $20,000 lower than those of a college grad. Yet nearly 1 in 5 workers who opt out of college earn more than employees with bachelor's degrees. Two million high school grads across the U.S. make six-figure annual salaries—without the financial burden of attending a four-year university. As of 2025, the average annual cost of college is more than $38,200 per student, and the average college graduate has more than $39,000 in student debt. It's little wonder that, according to a May 2024 survey from Pew Research, 29% of Americans think attending college is not worthwhile.
However, not every career field pays high school grads equally well, and understanding what the good jobs are is the first step to landing one. Stacker ranked the 50 highest-paying jobs that don't require a college degree in Greenville using annual compensation data from the BLS. The analysis included jobs that listed a high school diploma, a postsecondary nondegree award, or had no formal education requirements for entry-level positions. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2024, so any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.
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Indypendenz // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $56,450
- Median hourly wage: $27.14
- Total employment: 540 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
David Spates // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Median annual wage: $57,260
- Median hourly wage: $27.53
- Total employment: 1,070 people (2.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jat306 // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Millwrights
- Median annual wage: $57,670
- Median hourly wage: $27.73
- Total employment: 110 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $58,910
- Median hourly wage: $28.32
- Total employment: 280 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SatawatK // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $59,030
- Median hourly wage: $28.38
- Total employment: 450 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $59,230
- Median hourly wage: $28.48
- Total employment: 160 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $59,400
- Median hourly wage: $28.56
- Total employment: 950 people (2.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $59,680
- Median hourly wage: $28.69
- Total employment: 1,610 people (3.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $59,910
- Median hourly wage: $28.81
- Total employment: 540 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Carolina K. Smith MD // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Transportation security screeners
- Median annual wage: $59,950
- Median hourly wage: $28.82
- Total employment: 100 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Cargo and freight agents
- Median annual wage: $60,040
- Median hourly wage: $28.87
- Total employment: 140 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $60,050
- Median hourly wage: $28.87
- Total employment: 450 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $60,410
- Median hourly wage: $29.05
- Total employment: 70 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gerain0812 // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Surgical technologists
- Median annual wage: $60,780
- Median hourly wage: $29.22
- Total employment: 420 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $60,800
- Median hourly wage: $29.23
- Total employment: 1,300 people (3.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $60,970
- Median hourly wage: $29.31
- Total employment: 2,290 people (5.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $61,250
- Median hourly wage: $29.45
- Total employment: 330 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Chemical equipment operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $61,340
- Median hourly wage: $29.49
- Total employment: 840 people (1.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $61,480
- Median hourly wage: $29.56
- Total employment: 1,590 people (3.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $61,530
- Median hourly wage: $29.58
- Total employment: 740 people (1.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $61,630
- Median hourly wage: $29.63
- Total employment: 130 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Yulai Studio // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Surgical assistants
- Median annual wage: $62,000
- Median hourly wage: $29.81
- Total employment: 70 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Advertising sales agents
- Median annual wage: $62,330
- Median hourly wage: $29.97
- Total employment: 350 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $63,070
- Median hourly wage: $30.32
- Total employment: 4,170 people (9.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $63,440
- Median hourly wage: $30.50
- Total employment: 60 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
NDAB Creativity // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Massage therapists
- Median annual wage: $63,490
- Median hourly wage: $30.52
- Total employment: 310 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $63,550
- Median hourly wage: $30.56
- Total employment: 90 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $63,600
- Median hourly wage: $30.58
- Total employment: 4,780 people (11.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
manine99 // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $64,570
- Median hourly wage: $31.04
- Total employment: 170 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Syda Productions // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $64,970
- Median hourly wage: $31.23
- Total employment: 610 people (1.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Median annual wage: $66,020
- Median hourly wage: $31.74
- Total employment: 50 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers
- Median annual wage: $66,450
- Median hourly wage: $31.95
- Total employment: 70 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pixel B // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Tool and die makers
- Median annual wage: $68,680
- Median hourly wage: $33.02
- Total employment: 160 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $69,730
- Median hourly wage: $33.52
- Total employment: 270 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Median annual wage: $69,930
- Median hourly wage: $33.62
- Total employment: 220 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $69,950
- Median hourly wage: $33.63
- Total employment: 2,370 people (5.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Christian Lagerek // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Gas plant operators
- Median annual wage: $69,960
- Median hourly wage: $33.63
- Total employment: 40 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $72,070
- Median hourly wage: $34.65
- Total employment: 540 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Josep Suria // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Healthcare practitioners and technical workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $72,470
- Median hourly wage: $34.84
- Total employment: 110 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $72,480
- Median hourly wage: $34.85
- Total employment: 210 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $74,840
- Median hourly wage: $35.98
- Total employment: 1,510 people (3.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $75,820
- Median hourly wage: $36.45
- Total employment: 2,780 people (6.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Washburn HM // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Transportation inspectors
- Median annual wage: $76,420
- Median hourly wage: $36.74
- Total employment: 60 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santi lumubol // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $78,180
- Median hourly wage: $37.59
- Total employment: 570 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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michaeljung // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Power plant operators
- Median annual wage: $79,200
- Median hourly wage: $38.08
- Total employment: 60 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $79,790
- Median hourly wage: $38.36
- Total employment: 350 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $81,980
- Median hourly wage: $39.41
- Total employment: 360 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $104,330
- Median hourly wage: $50.16
- Total employment: 520 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $126,900
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 60 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 364 metros.
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